Fence-tightener.



PATENTBD DEC. 19, 1905.

E. B. WEBSTER.

FENCE TIGHTENER. APPLICATION FILED MAR.3, 1905.

Ila

EDMOND B. WEBSTER, OF CLIFTON, KANSAS.

FENCE-TIGHTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed March 3, 1905. erial No. 248,358-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMOND B. WEBs'rnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clifton, in the county of Washington and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Tighteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fence-tighteners, and has for its object to produce a tool by which a wire fence can be easily and quickly tightened and which will hold the fence until itcan be so secured.

A further object is .to produce a device of this character which is simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive of construction.

With the above-named objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the tool as arranged preliminary to tightening a wire fence. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line II II of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the tool. Fig. I is a side elevation showing the arrangement of the parts to hold the fence tightened until so secured by permanent means. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view showing the fence after being tightened and also showing the permanent means for holding the fence in its tightened condition.

In the said drawings, a metal strip or bar is bent back upon itself at its middle to form a handle 1, the parts of the bar being riveted together, as at 2. At its rear end the handle is provided with aloop 3, and its front end is sharpened or pointed, as at 4, and near its front end the parts of the bar are bent outward in opposite directions, as at 5, so as to form an opening, and said opening is divided longitudinally by a short bar 6, riveted between parts of the handle.

7 is a bolt extending through bent portions 5 and partition 6 and engaged at one end by a retaining-nut 8, and pivoted on said bolt at the outer side portions 5 are the ratchet-toothed arms 9 of such length as to project some disoutwardly-projecting shoulders 11, said bars at the opposite side of the bolt from shoulders 11 converging together and being secured, as at 12, in such relation and terminating in diverging pointed ends 13.

To tighten the wire fence, the parts are disposed as shown in Fig. 1, the pointed ends of the brace-lever being held depressed, as shown in said figure and Figs. 2 and 3, by the operator, who then placing the pointed end 4. of the handle against the post in about the same horizontal plane as the fence-strand to be tightened releases the brace-lever, this action obviously being followed by the toothed arms dropping down upon the wire, because they are heavier than said lever, the latter swinging to the dotted position shown in Fig. 4:. The handle is then swung pivotally upward, so as to slide the toothed arms forwardly over the fence-strand until the desired teeth are engaged With the strand. The lever is then swung down to its original position, and therefore bends the strand partially around the post, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the strand being lettered a. The operator then swings the brace-lever from the position shown in dotted t0 the position shown in full lines, Fig. 4:, where it reliably holds the handle until the operator has passed a wire 6 around the opposite side of the post 0 and has coiled its ends around wire a, so as to hold the latter in its tightened condition, as shown in Fig. 5. The tool is then removed to tighten the fence at another point.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a fence-tightener embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable and which obviously is susceptible of modification without departing from the principle of construction involved.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In a tool of the character described, a handle to bear pivotally at one end against a post, toothed arms pivotally supported from said handle and projecting beyond its front end, and a lever-brace pivotally supported from the handle and capable of supporting the toothed arms in an elevated position.

2. In a tool of the character described, a handle to bear pivotally at one end against a post, toothed arms pivotally supported from said handle and projecting beyond its front end,- and a lever-brace pivotally supported from said handle and provided at one end with laterally-projecting shoulders to supprovide shoulders, and converging toward port the toothed arms elevated and at the optheir opposite ends and riveted together, and posite end adapted to engage the post and having the ends of the converging portions brace the handle. pointed or sharpened. 5 5 3. In a tool of the character described, a Intestimony whereofIaffix my signature in handle to bear pivotally atlone end against a the presence of two witnesses. post, toothe arms pivotal y supported from 1 said handle and projecting beyond its front LDMO1\D WEBSTER end, and a lever-brace pivotally supported Witnesses:

10 from the handle, and consisting of two simi- H. C. RODGERS,

lar bars bent outwardly at their front ends to G. Y. THORPE. 

